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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29210499">The Once and Future</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJofthe/pseuds/AJofthe'>AJofthe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Macdonald Hall - Gordon Korman, The Twinkie Squad - Gordon Korman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:14:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>412</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29210499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJofthe/pseuds/AJofthe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There's an Academic Olympiad for civics and teams from Canada and the United States meet to compete. </p>
<p>In many ways, that's just the beginning.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Boots O'Neal/Bruno Walton, Douglas Fairchild/Armando "Commando" Rivera</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Once and Future</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Boots liked watching Bruno yell; after three years at MacDonald Hall, he was a connoisseur of the Bruno-Rant. And some of the best usually occurred when Bruno ranted about something to do with politics with someone (usually the civics teacher) who could hold his own. </p>
<p>This kid clearly knew his stuff, since Bruno was in full form within a minute of starting. </p>
<p>The kid’s friend, a tall brunette, had started the discussion, disagreeing with Bruno about an answer to one of the Academic Olympiad questions, but when Bruno had critiqued something about one of the honorary political judges, the smaller kid had lit into him. </p>
<p>It was actually pretty funny, watching Bruno being taken to task by a tiny little punk with a snake earing. </p>
<p>The kid was probably two or three inches shorter than Bruno, and dressed in the formal uniform of the Olympiad aside from the earring, in slacks and a white polo that sharply contrasted with his darker skin. His short hair, an almost-faux-mohawk, was casually mussed in a way that could only be by design. </p>
<p>Boots was starting to feel a little uncomfortable about the light in Bruno’s eyes when the brunette that had started the argument settled against the wall next to him.</p>
<p>“Commando seems to enjoy your friend’s debating style,” he said. He had been eyeing Bruno and  Boots looked him up and down. He wasn’t that attractive; too pretty and too skinny. And way too emo-goth for Bruno. </p>
<p>“Yeah, Bruno seems to be having fun. I’m Boots O’Neal.” </p>
<p>“I am Douglas Fairchild. Commando is my boyfriend,” he said. </p>
<p>Boots relaxed. “Bruno’s my roommate,” he offered. Douglas looked at him for a moment.</p>
<p>“Not your boyfriend?” he asked and blinked at Boots’ immediate “No!” “Did you know that the Nile River runs through Pekafia?” </p>
<p>Boots stared at him, until laughter drew his attention and he realized that Bruno and Commando had come to some sort of agreement.</p>
<p>Boots wondered why he felt a chill go down his spine when they shook hands.*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*The same chill went down Boots’ spine again forty years later when Marine One landed on the strip at Harrington Lake and Comm paused to wave at the cameras before walking briskly to greet them, Doug’s hand clasped tightly in his. </p>
<p>The next day, the Huffington Post displayed the headline “Spreading the Gay Love – President Rivera and Prime Minister Walton host World Leaders to Sign Biggest Human Rights Treaty in Since the Geneva Conventions.”</p>
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